Simon & Garfunnkel had reunited a number of times since splitting in 1970, but they stopped talking for a period of almost 12 years after Simon snubbed Garfunkel at what would have been a repeat of their successful Central Park appearance.

Although Garfunkle had first ventured into acting after the demise of S&G (he was a surprise success in the Mike Nichols film, Catch 22), when he finally got around to making a solo album in 1973, he relied heavily on songwriters such as Jimmy Webb and Randy Newman to supply material.